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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | DECEMBER 2025 | 57 Because we Sun Lakers enjoy mild and ever-shorter winters, it's not too soon to telegraph a spring event that highlights pickleball's continuing quest for wider recognition. The fourth round of the National Pickleball Slam will happen on April 15, so get your taxes done early and set your clocks. ESPN will carry the event live from Florida. For the first time, the Slam will feature actual picklers. Until the '26 extravaganza, the promoters have made it a contest for well- known tennis pros, demonstrating our sport's crossover appeal. However, the caliber of play has not been the best. No longer. The event will still feature a heavy dose of tennis prowess but will include a real pickleball champion in Anna Leigh Waters, 18, teaming with Eugenie Bouchard. She had an accomplished tennis career and was the first Canadian to gain the finals at Wimbledon and is also a pickleball professional. Opposing this duo will be old pro Andre Agassi partnering with former world No. 4 tennis star James Blake. Agassi has won the three earlier events as befits this eight-time tennis Grand Slam champ. The event promises everything: a clash of sports, youth vs age, male vs female, singles and doubles. And, a million dollar purse. "Many people still think the top women's players couldn't beat the top men's players in any racket sport. We are ready to prove them wrong. Genie and I have a lot of respect for Andre and James' legacy, but they're about to learn how hard it really is to master the sport we play for a living," asserted Waters. Consider the gauntlet thrown. Occasionally, when playing at a public park, we get to teach a thing or two to the youngsters swaggering through the gate, surveying the gray hair and sneering at us. How hard can this be? But at the Slam, we just may see youth have its day. Should be fun. While not all of us ol' folks can keep up with the kids, we are blessed in our club to have some of the top players in the area. Recently several of our guys went across the street to Four Seasons and came back with some top prizes in their fall tournament. It is a pleasure to see some rigorous play most every day at the Pavilion, but you don't have to be a great player to enjoy this sport. If you'd like an introduction, give our club veteran, Royce Newman, a call at (951) 809-2303. All of us will welcome you; see you on the courts! Pickleball Club